Reviews

Much ado about nothing

Oh dear. Where to beging. I am writing a review on the 2022 BL Thai Series "Cutie Pie", featuring NuNew and Zee as MC. The first thing coming to my mind after it FINALLY ended was what Bilbo said in Lord of the Rings: feeling thin like butter stretched over too much bread. And for once, I have a hard time to seperate my feeling for the story itself from the quality of the series, which I usually try to keep seperate.

If you ask me just personally, not trying a somewhat objective review yet: this was one of the most absurd selection of couples, behaviors, setups I have seen in a long time. I groaned the last three episodes, praying for a quick end because the "issue" went on and on and on.

But let me try to step back into more subjective terretory. The plot was that for some relatively illogical reasons a grandfather asked an older child to forever take cake of his grandson. Maybe if I watched it three or four times more I may get why anyone would do so, but then, I'd rather not. If there was a somewhat reasonable motivation, I missed it, for it made no sense at all. Everything seemed to hinge on this idea Kuea (NuNew) was seen as sort of inept to care for himself until a point he believed it about himself too, without any reason why HE would think that about himself for any other reason than everyone treating him like that. The grandpa arraging marrying an older guy, the mother keeping all things secret and his to be married Lian Wang (Zee) keeping him in this perspective. Something that so much borders gaslighting, that no matter with how many romance, music, kisses and "oh but I love you" I could not overlook.

The ending was kinda suggesting that both were to blame equally, since Kuen too had a life he hid from Lian, but objectively see this is quite some hogwash if ever I heard one. Kuen was expected to show a perfection, told so by his family and fiance, so he was pushed into this fear to hide his true self, whereas Lian enjoyed knowing all about him and letting Kuen make a fool out of himself being in the dark throughout almost the entire series. Above love there is truth and trust. I understand such things grow. And maybe I am just weary of this "childhood friends to lovers" theme, because TBH I find this quite unrealistic. We all know the friend zone issue. Maybe in 2022 it was okay, because it was an early time for BL, but I am used to this plot device from Manga and Webtoon for 20 years, and it has gotten old and implausible for me. And then people who want to stay together have to share some interests, have to have something in common beyond just love. Love is just not enough. And Kuen and Lian... what did they have in common? But then, this is an issue alas with many BL stories.

It also didn't sit well with me how strongly especially Lian/Zee was glued to the role of the "emotionless" top/seme trope I am so tired. I have seen NuNew and Zee in this prince thing, and I can't say how much the actual acting range of Zee is, but in both I felt it isn't much. A bit sad, a bit surprised, a bit serious, and I can't say if it's the actor or the directing, but it was boring. I am not fond of stoic tops. NuNew surely was acting very good, also a good singer and the highlight of the series. But 12 episodes of indecision... and then we have not one no TWO side couples with the same issue.

No comminication. I have seen Max who play Yi in several series, and somehow he always seems to play the same role: he stares like a villain, I never can buy his "I am in love" expressions in any series, and while his ship partner Nat who play Khon Diao has more to offer, it was the same stoic top vs overly emotional bottom just with even LESS story and logic. We had a third love story with Syn and Nuer, but I won't say anything about this other than it felt entirely superfluous to the plot whatsoever.

The problem I mainly had was it was unplausible to me. Keeping banale things a secret in fear to not fit to expected values may be plausible in Asia, but I can only speak from the lens I am accustomed to, and if at least the secrets had been super dramatic, I could understand. But loving to make music and studying car engineering instead of computer engineering and not being a doll? Wow, that surely is one set of secrets to be totally dramatic over... NOT! But worse, the transactions to save Kuen's family fortune doing it behind his back to "not trouble him"? BOTH mother and fiance? Seriously?

You know I grew up with a mother who to this day things I am quite inept do handle anything harsh, so MAYBE I am more sensitve to REALLY being ANGRY about the idea to being treated like that. But I would surely NOT marry a guy who treats me like that, love or no love. Overall, this series in long parts simply bored me. It was fluff, it had its moments, but I KINDA feel like I want my time back. I can't say it was horrible either. And before I tired you with an endless review I give it an okay

6/10

With an extra 9/10 to NuNew for acting and singing.

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Stranded, starry-eyed, and somehow still singing

✨ THE GOOD (THE SHINERS):
The premise is delightfully wild and the show actually leans into it with charm, humor, and unexpected warmth.
The leads? Endearing enough that even your soul says “OKAY, I’M IN.”
Some scenes genuinely hit you with feels you didn’t see coming.

🙄 THE “WAIT, WE’RE STILL ON THIS?” PACKAGE:
The pacing loves to fuc*ing stroll , sometimes a little too leisurely.
While the setup is unique on it's own way , the mid-arc sort of drifts like someone said,
“Uhhh… now we just vibe for a bit, fu*k it! who cares !?”
It meanders in that island drama meets K-romcom middle zone where you’re like,
“Yeah this is nice, but LET’S GO.”

🤦 THE “NOT EVERYTHING IS EARNED” ENERGY:
Certain emotional pivots land hard and others feel like
“We need tears here… okay improvise.”
And some plot threads just kinda… float off the coast with no resolutiontbh .

💖 THE “WHY IT STILL WORKS” DEPARTMENT:
Despite its wandering moments, the heart is genuine.
The chemistry, the laughs, the awkward tropical life stuff , it all adds up into a breezy watch
that feels like a warm hug and a sunburn at the same time , at least that how it felt to me .

🎯 FINAL VERDICT:
A quirky romance that takes its sweet time getting anywhere but has enough personality and warmth to kinda make that timeframe worth it.

✔ Watch if:
You want a romantic comedy with a bizarre setup and cozy moments.
You don’t mind a slow burn with occasional “uhhh…?” detours.

❌ Skip if:
You need tight plotting, fast pacing, or zero filler vibes.

🌴 Best paired with:
Iced tea, a soft blanket, and zero expectations for logic — just go with the flow and enjoy the ride.

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tropey writing makes one dimensional characters

there was immense hype around this drama when this was airing. i finally got to watch this, and unfortunately i do not see what the hype is about. I feel like this drama is like those trope books which restrict the characters to one dimensional attribute and do not allow them to grow from their initial role. I cannot even begin to think/elaborate how frustrating the time-travel was - just too many plotholes, like i get that it's fiction, but even fictional stories are bound by their own rules of magic and world-building. For instance, Sol gets 3 opportunities to go back in time to save Sun-jae, then somehow there is a fourth try too with Sun-jae's watch after he was stabbed/drowns. I liked the way Twinkling Watermelon handled the timetravel shift . Sol's character had limited expressions - shocked, tearful, scared and annoyed - her role as a 16 year old girl and 34 year old woman were exactly the same lol, one would think a 34 year old woman would know better to use her brain and not cry at the smallest inconvenience. The only feel-good aspect to their romance is them saving each other's lives at multiple instances and the angst to override/change their fate by maintaining Sol-imposed distance. I wanted to know why were ML/SML head over heels over Sol despite her rejecting them at various instances and being mean/rude to them. So many elements of this drama was uneplored like why was that killer behind Im-Sol, time-travel rules. Sol had so many resources - SEEING GLIMPSES OF THE FUTURE - being one of them, yet she failed to use them in her favour. Sun-jae's own journey with his music/acting was left unexplored. I do not think the acting was bad but imo the actors didnt have a lot of room for expression and which is why i felt they were cringe and immature. Nevertheless, just because this drama live up to the hype doesnt mean i didnt enjoy it. The ending of ep 4 will forever be iconic. I will be enjoying sappy edits of Sol-Sunjae,

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Comfort Show For Sure!

This show has such a cute plot! Honestly going to put as a comfort show for sure! I wish I watched this in high school. I love how they showed their immaturity even though most of them are in their 20s. At first I thought they were actually teenagers, and that shows how amazing the actors are in this show. And I'm not just talking about the main duo. I mean ALL of them. All of them earn my respect for sure. This show is so hilarious and gives me so much nostalgia of all the fun things I did in high school. I love that the decisions that the characters made here are also the same decisions that a high schooler will also make. Sure some of them have wisdom but they still portray and show the teenage personalities here. And I really love that. The loserism in this show is just top notch! It was nerdy, corny, and cringe in the best of ways! Sure there are a lot of goofy and funny moments in this show but I also love how the intense scenes are played out. I felt so understood watching those scenes. It may have been dramatic but wasn't high school dramatic? This show was just like a hug to my past self. Made me think that even though my school and family life is not as good as this, I had good friends who helped me made good memories. That's why this show is top-tier in my opinion. The acting in this show is also very very good. Milk (Ongsa) had the loserism to a T. It was so good that I thought she was a little like this in real life. I wasn't a fan of Ongsa at first because of the catfishing but when her moment came when she broke down to her family. I get it. That scene was so powerful and heartbreaking because a lot of queer people relate to that. I finally understood why Ongsa did it. I liked Ongsa because her character grows, she may not be the best at anything but she tries, and even at trying to try she fails but she still persists to do it next time. As kid who missed a lot of chances, I totally understood why she was so scared. Sun (Love) was the best girl! She was the literal definition of Sunshine. Her character did show maturity but she still had some room to grow, especially the outing scene. It was messed up to out someone but the way it happened was not with malicious intent. She was hurt and she was trying to understand why Ongsa lied. She was such a good character with a lot of depth. Aylin (View) this was such a good character and representation. Her braveness to push through her uncomfortability to express herself to people she cared was something to live by. Luna (June) was so patient, sweet, and respectful. The actors in this show is just *chef's kiss*. I would also like to mention the OngsaSun's first kiss. That scene was perfection itself. The location, the event, the time, the place, the music. Best first kiss I've seen for sure! It was so so sweet. The OSTs are also really good. It stayed on theme and I can keep listening to it everyday, and I do. This is a show you can totally watch when you want some fluff because this is god-tier fluff!

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Is it clear?

To begin, it's always good to remember that this is a REMAKE of Chai Jidan's story. The original story is one thing, and this version is interesting if you watch it without thinking too much about the original story. The worst point would be the actors' ages; three were minors when this series was filmed. I didn't even consider watching it when it was released because I'm very attached to the original story, but I watched this version with a clear mind. Overall, the acting is good; it's as if it rescued good points from series like Hometown Embrace, A Tale of a Thousand Stars, and some good points from Addicted, like the silly jealousy scenes, but overall it wasn't that good. It's not worth rewatching, and it's not a universe that immerses you. The soundtrack isn't good, but the actors are good. I hope they continue to evolve and make dramas with good stories. Even if you don't know the original story, the series won't grab you that much. Some episodes only have about 20 good minutes, and the rest is disposable. The secondary couple is okay, but nothing impressive; they're good actors, but this attempt to make the series more youthful wasn't a good bet.

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Things for Romance Fans to Know Before Watching Healer

This is one of the most high-chemistry, romantic love stories of all time. While the drama gets into some dark history, it also has an upbeat, romance-action soul. But some viewers who love romance don't make it past the opening episodes.

To make it through episodes 1 to 3, it helps to be aware that they evoke past national wounds. So if you're new to Korean history, you might want to become aware of these hot button topics:

1.Jeon Tae-il, whose 1970 self-immolation turned him into a martyr for the labor movement
2. The Gwangju Uprising - May 18 to 27, 1980
3. The suppression and ousting of journalists, and the takeover of news agencies in the 1980s
4. Corrupt 1980s adoption practices, including falsifying records and forcibly taking children from their families
5. Jang Ja-yeon, who in 2009 left behind evidence of systemic coercion and exploitation within the South Korean entertainment industry

Healer is so romantic, precisely because there are high stakes all around. For the leads, their past traumas dovetail. For their parents' generation, there was harsh payment for resistance - in some cases, the ultimate price. For their society, looking to the future, there are grief and lessons from the past, but also clarity and hope.

All of this makes me feel a little guilty for getting so much escapist pleasure out of rewatching Healer! But it wasn't all escapist, because it allowed me a window into another country's past, and I'm grateful.

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iche iche iche, cada um com seus fetiche

Por qual motivos começa tão engraçado e alto astral e do nada fica tão triste e pesado? Jojo arrasa muito porque ele sabe retratar a vida crua como ela é. A trilha sonora impecável, acho impressionante como o Jojo sempre acha uma música que encaixa com a cena. As atuações ótimas, de verdade. New está um gostoso, mas infelizmente o Joong beija as duas mulheres mais bonitas do elenco e isso estragou um pouco a experiência.
Eu tenho dó da Ciize, cada lakorn que eu vejo com ela só me faz entender pq ela entrou pros GLs, nesse ela beija homem vestido de cachorro, no outro beija o Drake. Poxa Jojo, tenha dó da minha menina!

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A really cozy and fun series about being an adult and a young person today.
It shows that family doesn’t always have to be about blood, and that sometimes you can choose your own family if you need to.


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I WANT MORE OF THIS SERIES

DARN IT!!! When i watched it i was thinking they already past the marriage and introduce us to Pam. I wish Northstar would truly introduce us with spin off having Dr. Prem and Pat with their little Pam and have spin off of their daugther love story like in the Novel. Though the honeymoon is great love the cute and romantice side of the story. the end part where they invite guest was great but having they all singing was not matching the vibe of the special episode. i so happy when Dr. Prem said that she want to have a steady strong bond with Pat and in her Future there will always be Pat I was thinking Dr. Prem wanted to have a child. sigh...

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THE BEST GIRL LOVE STORY I HAVE SEEN

i don't know what everyone thinks. but i love this story. Ptik and Northstar pick the right casting for the charaters to portray Dr. Prem and Pat and they did the web novel justice. Ginny and Jayna who did not have any actiing experience and was able to make eveyone cry and the Actors who play the protagonist was awesome especially the Fiance and Pat Best friend Nam i truly wanted to hit them for what they did to Dr Prem and Pat. They sure made the audience hated them so much. As for Dr. Prem Parents no words if i had those parents i disown them but this is a asian famiily thing so its understandable withthe upbringing. i just wish they could of done collaboration with The Secret Of Us and continue the stories with spin off of their daugthers and have the parents as the support roles. audience would love to see girl love stories expand further than just marriage. have family and that they also can live and love like normal couple.

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Definitely of it’s time

**POSSIBLE SPOILERS, Read at your own discretion.**
I look back on 2016 K-dramas with so much love in my heart, as 2015 and 2016 were the years I really started watching, loving, and enjoying them. Most of my favourite titles come from these years, and the clichés that have since been mostly wiped away from dramas are what initially drew me to this one. Not to mention the two leads, Jo Jung Suk and Gong Hyo Jin, who are some of my favourite talents Korea has to offer, which was a huge bonus.

I went into this expecting only a couple of things that I remembered being common for dramas of this period: an overly macho male lead who eventually turns soft as a plush, a pushover female lead who may or may not grow a backbone, and a second lead who would make me root for him, only to end up as a great friend to the female lead when she ultimately chose the first male lead.

Little to say, I was incredibly surprised by some of what I expected, and some of what I did not. I was NOT expecting the male lead in this drama to have breast cancer, and for it to be introduced so early on came as such a pleasant shock. I think the cancer portion of this drama was incredibly well done, witty, and featured some of the best scenes, especially during the hospital visits. Most of my favourite moments throughout the drama came from the cancer and hospital arc.

That said, this drama definitely suffered from too many issues in my eyes. It relied heavily on the leads’ silly moments and made light of serious topics, which truly made me feel like the drama expected to be carried by its comedy and outright ridiculousness. This was especially true with the worn-out and incredibly tiresome love triangle. God, that love triangle made me hate Jeongwon so much, and somehow I hated him even more toward the end. I know this is an incredibly unpopular take, but it is mine nonetheless.

I saw Jeongwon as a creep, almost borderline stalker. Why did he always know where Nari was, and why did he constantly push his way in? I felt he was using his “love”, which felt more like obsession, to fill some kind of attachment void left by his mother, or to use Nari as a form of rebellion against his suffocating, luxurious life. He was very much in character the entire time with the rich boy gets whatever he wants attitude, and he often robbed Nari of her agency by forcing himself into her choices. It felt like their entire relationship consisted of him shoving himself into her life, constantly forcing himself into her orbit, and never letting her think for herself for even a second. He was overbearing, rude, and overall an unenjoyable character for me. Personality of wet cardboard, much? The only thing he knew how to do was yell and act entitled, no matter how much the drama tried to paint him as a good guy.

Not to mention how inconsiderate he was toward Ms. Geum, essentially his ex-fiancée. She was a surprisingly enjoyable character to me, and I felt she was just as wronged as he was, in a way he was unwilling to perceive or understand. As a woman, she had a duty and role to fulfill in securing a suitable arranged marriage, and she was more than willing to make it work. She genuinely seemed to admire Jeongwon for who he was and was willing to go the distance to get to know him.

As much as the drama tried to portray Ms. Geum as a wacko who was obsessed and a pathetic pick-me who could not let go, the more I saw her as a woman who simply wanted to be given a chance by the man she truly liked. She was willing to do what she had to do, and even wanted to know Jeongwon more deeply. I applaud her character and would root for her any day.

Furthermore, I can hardly begin to articulate how I feel about Hwashin and Nari, let alone them as a couple. Hwashin was very rude, narcissistic, and overly masculine. He was toxic to everyone around him, including himself. He is one of those characters I dislike but can unfortunately understand, though never validate. He is an asshole, plain and simple, with no excuses. He needed to learn respect for women, his friends, and himself. For much of the first half of the drama, he let his ego rule him, only for his cancer diagnosis to humble him at times.

I genuinely think being diagnosed with a disease most commonly associated with women was a major turning point for him. It forced him to step back and truly evaluate who he was. While I do not think he showed an insane amount of growth, especially during the far too long love triangle arc where he often became toxic and unrelenting, I did enjoy seeing the changes in how he approached Nari toward the end. He softened considerably, developed those “honey eyes”, and learned to address her more kindly and gently as he fell in love. I just hate that it took so long for such a jaded man to become enjoyable, especially around episodes 18 to 20. I really liked him then, and it felt like such a shame that so much potential was wasted.

I wish the drama had developed him more, especially with all the background they gave him early on. A clearer and more relatable explanation of how and why he became the asshole we met at the beginning would have gone a long way. It was incredibly obvious that his arrogance was a cover for a man deeply wounded by how his life had gone so far.

For example, there was so much potential in the storyline about him ruining his brother Joongshin’s life with that exposé. Was he forced to do that story, or did he do it purely for personal gain? He looked pained while delivering it, but even more hurt and disgusted with himself afterward. There was too little context for me to judge his actions, so it slipped through the cracks. With more depth, it could have made for a perfect character arc for Hwashin and added more weight to his brother’s death. Because so little was done with Joongshin’s character, I ultimately felt nothing toward him, either before or after his passing. He was just kind of there, and his death felt like a failed plot device meant to bring everyone together.

I also would have loved it if they worked harder to show that Hwashin was not popular with higher-ups at work and was consistently given demeaning assignments. I will never forget the remark where someone said Hwashin was overlooked as a reporter and never taken seriously, something along the lines of, “Why else would they have sent him to Thailand?” or “Why else do you think he accepted that position and stayed away for three years?” It is a small detail, but again, it was a missed opportunity.

It is such a letdown how much complexity slipped past Hwashin and his disgruntled family. The family was indeed a mess, but they could have been so much more. A mess with layered conflicts that eventually came together for reasons beyond just Ppalgang. Using a single teenager and a pointless character death to reunite everyone after years of resentment felt like the smallest and laziest writing choice.

Finally, Nari also felt like a massive missed opportunity. I fear that her hopes, dreams, and ambitions were completely squashed in favor of making her nothing more than a pawn of love. She was treated as an object and allowed herself to be handled whichever way others chose, all while insisting she was acting out of greed or self-interest. In reality, she was constantly pushed and pulled, rarely making decisions for herself or ever standing up for herself.

They could have expanded her character by portraying her as a dutiful older sister trying her best to make life work for herself, her siblings, and her abandoned stepmother, who seemed closer to her in age than a parent. It would have been incredibly heartwarming to see the two women bond and openly resent Nari’s father for abandoning his children, his eldest daughter, and his young wife. Instead, we saw little to none of her stepmother, very little of her brother Pyobum, and only some of Chiyeol when it conveniently served the plot.

Her family was honestly the most enjoyable part of the drama for me, and I would have loved to see more of them, especially her stepmother. Seriously, what did she do? Did she own the snack shop? How did she even meet Nari’s dad and marry him? Questions and stories like these could have easily replaced the countless wasted episodes spent on that stupid love triangle. Thinking about it genuinely makes me angry.

While I definitely have my qualms with this drama and could say much more, this is where I will leave it. As of writing this, I am on episode 20 and plan to finish the drama. I do not think I will edit this review afterward, as I doubt my issues will be resolved in just four episodes.

I will say that while I disliked many aspects of this drama, there were things I genuinely enjoyed as well. I will not rewatch it often, but if I ever do, it will be with a sense of nostalgic fondness.

I hope you enjoyed the read, and feel free to share if you had similar issues.

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